Say HOWDY!! to #Author: Cecilia Dominic #steampunk #urbanfantasy #wineblogger

...Cecilia Dominic became a clinical psychologist because she's fascinated by people and their stories, but she couldn't stop writing fiction. By day, she helps people cure their insomnia without using medication. By night, she blogs about wine and writes fiction that keeps her readers turning pages past bedtime. Yes, she recognizes the conflict of interest between her two careers, so she writes and blogs under a pen name.  She lives in Atlanta, Georgia with one husband and two cats, which, she's been told, is a good number of each. She has been published in short story and novel-length fiction and currently writes urban fantasy, new adult contemporary, and steampunk for Samhain Publishing.

If love is the ivy, secrets are the poison.

Aether Psychics, Book 1

After enduring heartbreak at the hands of a dishonest woman, Edward Bailey lives according to scientific principles of structure and predictability. Just the thought of stepping outside his strict routine raises his anxiety.

Adding to his discomfort is Iris McTavish, who appears at his school’s faculty meeting in place of her world-famous archeologist father. Worse, the two of them are to pose as Grand Tourists while they search for an element that will help harness the power of aether.

Iris jumps at the opportunity to prove her worth as a scholar—and avoid an unwanted marriage proposal—while hiding the truth of her father’s whereabouts. If her secret gets out, the house of McTavish will fall into ruin.

Quite unexpectedly, Edward and Iris discover a growing attraction as their journey takes them to Paris and Rome, where betrayal, blackmail and outright theft threaten to destroy what could be a revolutionary discovery—and break their hearts.

Warning: Allergen alert! This book was produced in a facility that handles copious amounts of wine, tea and baked goods. May contain one or more of the following: a spirited heroine, a quirky hero, clever banter, interesting facts both made-up and historical, and lots of secrets. It is, however, gluten free.

READ A LITTLE, BUY THE BOOK: Cecilia Dominic

A QnA to really get to know Cecilia's deepest secrets such as:  Vicki:  I’m a huge handbag girl. What is your favorite accessory? Cecilia: I’m a huge fan of pendants. My favorite is a silver dragon over a jade disc I got at the Chinese Gardens in Vancouver, B.C. a few years ago. Most recently I got a lovely pewter dragon pendant at – where else? – DragonCon. It looks like there’s a theme, but those are the only two dragons, sadly. I only buy jewelry that draws me right to it. Both times with the dragons I had to circle around and get another look. Luckily I have a rule that I only buy jewelry when traveling. Okay, DragonCon might be an exception since it’s a local event for me, but we did stay in a hotel downtown for the convention, and there were suitcases involved, so that’s traveling, right?

Vicki: Is there a playlist you’d recommend for reading your latest release? Cecilia: I would recommend Dvořák’s New World Symphony and other classical music from the Romantic era while reading Eros Element. That’s pretty much what I listened to while writing it, and I’m a sucker for Liszt and Chopin. The New World Symphony captures the sense of wonder and adventure I think my characters felt, especially Edward and Iris on their first airship ride.

Vicki: What sound or noise do you love? Cecilia: I’m a water girl. I’ve always been drawn to it, and I love the sound of moving water whether it’s rain on the aluminum overhang on my back porch, a burbling stream, a waterfall, or the ocean. I read something once suggesting that white noise like the sound of rushing water blocks out distractions. I can’t help but feel inspired, and like a lot of authors, I often have ideas while in the shower. I can also sit and stare at moving water for hours. No, I’ve never seen visions in it, in case anyone was wondering. It would probably freak me out if I did.

Vicki: What is your favorite tradition from your childhood that you would love to pass on or did pass on to your children? Cecilia: I don’t have children, sadly, but if I did, I would pass along my Italian recipes and love of cooking. My husband and I enjoy making tomato sauce from fresh summer tomatoes using a hand-cranked tomato press, and I sometimes make my own pasta. I have fond memories of making ravioli and pizza with my parents. They were like crafts we got to eat! I also got my grandmother’s Italian brownies recipe. They’re more like spice cookies with chocolate chips in them. So yummy! 
Vicki: I want the recipe!!!

Vicki: What could we find in your heroine's purse?Cecilia: I’m going to answer as though this is about halfway through Eros Element. In her reticule, Iris is carrying her father’s pocket watch because they were very close, and it’s a way for her to keep his memory with her. She also has a pencil, tape measure, and small notebook to record measurements of archaeological finds. Oh, and probably some hairpins and an extra pair of gloves if they’ll fit.

Vicki: What is your hero’s “kryptonite” – in other words, what will bring him instantly to his knees? Cecilia: Edward lives according to scientific principles, which is basically his way of controlling his environment so he can avoid anxiety. At the beginning of the story, he’s very sensitive to disruptions to his routine, and he hates it when people don’t respect how important his rules are to him. It was fun as an author to push him out of his comfort zone and challenge him.

Vicki: What would you say is your most interesting quirk? Cecilia: I love that you use the word “quirk” because Edward is described as “quirky” in the novel. Sometimes (often?) authors will draw from their own personalities for their characters, and I have to admit that, like Edward, I can be very particular about some things. I, too, get irritated when someone messes with my plans. A small example of my personal quirkiness is that when I used to eat Frosted Mini Wheats, I would always turn them sugar-side-up before adding the milk. My husband thought that was really strange and amusing.

FIND Cecilia at:Website  Facebook Twitter  Goodreads Pinterest  Wine Blog

UP NEXT: Light Fantastique, the sequel to Eros Element, will be released on December 15: 

At the Théâtre Bohème, danger decides who takes the final curtain call.

Aether Psychics, Book 2

Hailed as the most talented actress of her generation, Marie St. Jean has something more to her ability than mere talent. She loses a bit of her soul to each role. When the ghostly spirit of the theatre promises her an easy fix, she’s tempted by the chance to finally live a normal life.

Unfortunately, the man she’s drawn to is the last one to settle for normal. But with the Prussians surrounding Paris, there’s no escaping that temptation, either.

Violinist Johann Bledsoe thought he’d left his disgrace in England, but a murder outside the Théâtre Bohème makes him wonder if he’s been exposed. Another reason not to stick around once the siege ends, even if Marie fascinates him.

More murders, steam-powered ravens, and past and present secrets bring them closer to discovering just what lurks within the theatre, and who threatens from without. The only way to save themselves is to reveal their darkest shames—and use the Eros Element in a way that has already driven one man to the brink of madness.

Warning:  Processed in a facility where wine is used as currency and dessert is a reward. If you dislike French cooking and attitudes, move along. Things are cooking in this book, and it ain’t Julia Child.

PREVIOUS RELEASES: The Lycanthropy Files – urban fantasy with a scientific twist. What if lycanthropy was a genetic disorder, but the cure was more than science could handle? The third book Blood’s Shadow will be out in paper in November.

A Perfect Man – obviously fiction, right? How far will she go to find her perfect man? How far will he go to be one?

When Karen Hardeman sets foot on the Foothills University campus, it’s her first step toward proving her abusive ex wrong. Just her luck, her first writing assignment in Intro to Romance sends her in search of the perfect hero—a quest she’s never managed to conquer.

Worse, her professor forces her to collaborate with the most overconfident, annoying guy in the class.

Seth Sayers is also at Foothills to find new direction—preferably one that takes him far away from the family drama that’s followed him since his father’s death. He didn’t mean to humiliate Karen by rewriting her manuscript from the hero’s point of view. He blames the painkillers the ER doctor gave him after stitching up a wine-induced cut on his hand.

As their collaboration progresses, Karen begins to trust Seth with her manuscript, then maybe a little piece of her heart. But Seth’s half-brother resurrects Seth’s suspicions about his father’s death. Until he finds the truth, he can’t be the hero in anyone’s life. Even his own.

GOT A QUESTION YOU’D LIKE TO ASK YOUR FANS? 

I will send a $10 Amazon gift certificate to one random commenter who leaves their email address in the comments. Now that I’ve confessed about my quirks, I’m curious about yours. Don’t worry, I’m leaving my psychologist hat off. What is one strange thing you do or preference you have that you or others find odd? Let’s keep it PG, please.

Note: Please leave an email address for notification. Offer void where prohibited. Prizes will be mailed to North America addresses only unless specifically mentioned in the post. Odds of winning vary due to the number of entrants. Winners of drawings are responsible for checking this site in a timely manner. If prizes are not claimed in a timely manner, the author may not have a prize available. Get Lost In A Story cannot be responsible for an author's failure to mail the listed prize. GLIAS does not automatically pass email addresses to guest authors unless the commenter publicly posts their email address.